BLUEFIELD, W.Va. (WVNS)– A man is found guilty after he traveled across state lines to have a sexual relationship with a minor.
Jeffrey William Sexton, Jr., 27, of Virginia Beach is found guilty after having illicit sexual activity with a minor on June 1, 2019.
“As a dad, I cannot adequately describe how much matters like this trouble me. Cases like this are disturbing and difficult to work. Sexton thought he was traveling to engage in sex with a 13 year old and, to the nightmare of every parent, even encouraged her to sneak out of her house,” United States Attorney Mike Stuart stated.
Sexton had previously been charged in a single-count indictment with travel to engage in illicit sexual activity with a minor. During the trial, evidence of an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old girl through social messaging and dating apps around May 28, 2019 were revealed.
The messages revealed that Sexton brought up oral sex with the minor. On June 1, 2019 approximately 1 a.m. Sexton drove to Bluefield WV from Bluefield VA to meet the alleged 13-year-old.
On May 31, 2019, Sexton reached out to chat with two other law enforcement officers posing as minors on the same messaging application, discussing oral sex with one officer who stated she was only 14 years old.
Sexton is now facing up to 30 years in federal prison and his sentencing will be May 19, 2020.
The investigation was the result of an undercover operation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s West Virginia Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which included task force officers from the Raleigh and Mercer County Sheriffs’ Department.
